The audience fell silent at this bold announcement.
He’s nuts, Faith said into her mind. That’s what Selak was trying to do, and look what happened. He blew up Atlantis.
“I will summon the Creators and prove without a doubt that the Seers were corrupt, that they shut the rest of our society out and hoarded the power of the stones for themselves!” The crowd cheered. “And to witness this revelation of truth, I give you … Seers!”
Tessa was shoved onto the stage with a hard hand to her back, along with the rest of her family. Even Adrian, Faith, Cara, and her father were herded along with them. Apparently associating with Seers made you one of them, in Criten’s book.
“Behold the Seers!” Criten crowed, gesturing with a sweep of his arm. “Let them witness with all of us the rebirth of the Atlantean nation!”
He stepped over to the table and held out his hands above the stones, closing his eyes. Slowly, their deep red color faded to clear, with red swirling through it. He remained there, his features twisting with effort. Sweat misted his forehead. The red started to fade from the stones, leaving them clear and glowing.
He’s doing it, Faith said in her mind. He’s activating them. I don’t know how. They only respond to Seers that way. Even I can’t get them to run clear.
A low hum sounded, rising in volume until the arena shook from it. The crowd had hushed, their focus an intense, palpable vibration in the air. Pure white energy erupted from the pointed tops of the pyramid-shaped crystals. The three streams merged together into one solid column of brilliant white light. With a roar, the column shot into the air and pierced the sky.
Tessa’s skin prickled. She assumed it was from the heat of the energy being released from the stones. A lightness gripped her, as if she were being lifted from her physical body, her essence extending across space and time, seeking, ready. She longed to stretch with the power, but she was anchored, trapped by the binding she’d taken from Adrian. Her spirit strained toward the goal, tearing the fabric of her soul as part of her remained trapped on this plane.
Tessa, let me take the binding back, Adrian said into her mind.
She shook her head no. They needed him to be free to fight, to be in full power.
It’s going to kill you, Tessa. Reverse the process and put the binding back on me. You need to be part of this, to prove the truth to the Atlantean people.
Her every nerve screaming, her body flooded with throbbing, living power, Tessa finally acknowledged the truth of his words. She reached out a mental hand to him, and when he caught it, she passed the binding back onto him.
The pain disappeared. Her soul soared along the star paths with the ease of a songbird gliding over a meadow.
“I summon the Creators!” Criten cried, spreading his arms.
A ripping rent the air, like a thunder crack. A rush of energy surged through Tessa. Her essence was swept aside. Aside but not gone. Replaced by something else. Something Other.
The Creators had answered.
* * *
Adrian sensed the change in Tessa. The very air around them crackled with electricity. He charged toward her. Hard hands grabbed him around the shoulders, forced him into a kneeling position. He could only watch the transformation. Her violet eyes glittered like amethysts, and her skin glowed as if lit from within, a blinding white. She lifted her hands. The white light surrounded her wrists, and the handcuffs snapped like tin foil, falling to the ground. When she spoke, it was not the husky tones of his mate.
“Why have you summoned me?”
The words came in stereo, and Adrian realized Criten had undergone the same transformation as Tessa. The two spoke in tandem, as if one entity spoke from both their mouths. The words echoed in his mind as well, and from the gasps rising from the crowd, in theirs, too.
The question came again. “Why have you summoned me?”
Maria stepped forward, unhampered by the guards, who stared at Criten in slack-jawed awe. “We have questions. We seek answers.”
Tessa and Criten both nodded at the exact same time. “Ask your questions.”
“Why did you destroy Atlantis?” Maria asked.
“We did not.”
“Then who did?”
“It is not who. It is how.”
Maria rephrased her question. “How was Atlantis destroyed?”
A vision gripped him, overlaying his current surroundings with that of an ancient city. Atlantis. Tidal waves crashed over the buildings, and the earth split open at his feet. Lightning and thunder ripped into a sky turned rosy from the crimson energy erupting from Poseidon’s temple at the center of the city. Boats, carts, horses—all were swept away by the raging might that made the great city tremble. Stone walls cracked. Citizens screamed in terror, fleeing like ants before a descending boot.
Then it was gone, and he was in Santutegi again. A few of the guards fell to their knees, their faces twisted in terror. People in the crowd were screaming or cheering or crying or fainting. Adrian realized they had all seen the vision.
Apparently when you asked the Creators how Atlantis was destroyed, they took you literally in answering.
Maria addressed the Creators again. “How did this come to pass?”
“The balance was disrupted.”
“Please explain.”
“The balance was disrupted by one who was not designed to communicate with us.”
“The balance of what?” Maria asked.
“The balance.” Both Tessa and Criten turned their heads at the same time to look at Maria. “All things must have balance. Without balance, there is chaos. Balance is the design.”
“Please explain about the design.”
“The design is three. Three groups, three varieties, three sides to the triangle. One balances the other. If one is lost, the others fall.”
“Three,” Maria said. “Seers, Channelers, Warriors.”
Criten and Tessa both nodded. “Yes.”
“Who are you? Why were we designed?”
“We are travelers. Scientists. We traverse the dimensions. We create symbiotic relationships with other species.”
“Why?”
“To learn. To expand. To propagate.”
“I don’t understand. To propagate? You mean, reproduce?”
“We do not reproduce as you do. We create new species. We use the essence of a species and combine it with our own essence. In this way, our society lives on.”
“So you combined your essence with the essence of humans? Is that how Seers and Channelers and Warriors were created?”
“It is.”
Criten and Tessa nodded in sync again. Tessa looked serene, glowing from within. Criten sweated, his face red. He was shaking. Unable to manage the energy?
“After Atlantis was destroyed, why did you abandon us?” Maria continued.
“We underestimated humans.”
“I don’t understand. Can you explain?”
“Members of our society are created for a specific task. They perform that task and are content.”
“And you created Atlantean society based on that concept?”
“Yes.”
“What is the purpose of the Seers?”
“To see what must be seen. To find what must be found. To communicate with us. To bridge the world between human and Atlantean with empathy.”
“So one of the purposes of the Seers is to communicate with you?”
“Yes.”
“What if a Channeler tries to communicate with you? Or a Warrior? What happens then?”
“The balance is disrupted.”
“And if the balance is disrupted, society falls.”
“Yes.”
“Is that what happened in Atlantis?”
“Yes.”
“Jain Criten is a Channeler. How is he able to communicate with you?”
“He is a hybrid. An aberration in the formula.”
“A hybrid?”
“Yes.”
“Please explain
.”
“He is Channeler, as you say, but also Seer.” A gasp rose from the crowd.
“After Atlantis fell, why did you abandon us?”
“We underestimated the humans’ ambition and desire to grow, their ability to adapt. When the city was destroyed, we accepted that the project had failed.”
“What do you mean, failed?”
“We have accepted that we cannot predict human behavior. We cannot contain their ambition. Humans will always strive to be more than they are. They are far removed from other species where we have successfully integrated. They no longer fit the formula.”
“Fit the formula?”
“The ingenuity of humans convinced us we should abandon the project and not tamper further.”
“Are the Seers responsible for the destruction of Atlantis?”
“No. He who disrupted the balance is responsible.” A murmur rippled through the crowd. As one, Tessa and Criten looked at the audience. “Communication on this level will not be possible in the future. There are only a few of us left who can even sense you, and the changing harmonies of your dimension have become painful and taxing on our abilities.”
“So this is the last time we will ever be able to speak to you?” Maria asked.
Both Tessa and Criten nodded. “The fact that you have succeeded in contacting us after all this time proves our point. You have exceeded our expectations.”
“What about—?” Before Maria could finish her question, Criten screamed. The energy fluctuated. His skin began to bubble, blisters erupting over every exposed inch. Power flared.
Faith charged forward, Darius right behind her. The guards didn’t even try to stop them. She turned her back and touched one of the stones with her bound hands. The energy released Criten, leaping to Darius. Criten fell to the floor in a heap. Darius remained standing tall, his skin glowing like Tessa’s, his fierce eyes burning like sapphires. His handcuffs burned white and fell off.
Rafe and Maria came forward, then Tessa. The four Seers stood around the table, stabilizing the energy. They all spoke as one.
“Balance is restored. Your species is free of further interference. Be well and flourish.”
The column of white light plummeted into the ground and disappeared.
* * *
Tessa snapped back into her consciousness. Her mind erupted with panicked voices from the humans both in the stadium and in the city around them, who had witnessed the coming of the Creators. She reached for the mate link and built her defenses to tone down the din.
“We’ve got to get control of this crowd!” her father shouted, as people in the audience fought and climbed over each other to escape. Others collapsed in tears or terror.
“Darius, can you calm everybody down?” Adrian called.
Darius rubbed his wrists. “I can certainly try.”
“I’ll feed you power from the stones,” Faith said. “It should give you more range.”
“Sounds good.” Darius stepped forward.
Adrian turned to Tessa. “How are you doing?”
“Back to normal. But what about you? I can sense the binding is still there.” She closed her eyes and visualized sliding the tight belt of energy from around him. As it settled over her, the voices in her mind quieted.
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said.
She shrugged. “My part is done, and I feel better with you at full power.”
Thanks.” Adrian snapped his handcuffs. “That vision the Creators sent—it seemed to go to everyone.” He looked out over the crowd, which was calming down because of Darius. “They all know now what really happened. Finally.”
With Faith channeling the power of the stones through their mating bond, Darius managed to calm many of the panicking people in the audience, Atlantean and human alike, convincing them to take their seats.
Tessa’s father went over to Criten and removed his lapel mic. He tapped it. “Damn it. It’s dead. The energy must have fried it.” He signaled to some of Criten’s guards, who still lingered on the wings. “Your boss needs a doctor, and I need a microphone … now!”
They scrambled into action, one grabbing a hand mike and running it out to her father, and another two racing over to Criten, who lay unconscious, his skin covered in blisters, his clothes and hair singed. They checked for a pulse, nodded, then scooped him up together and removed him from the stage.
Tessa’s father tapped the top of the microphone. It echoed over the speakers. Some people paused in the aisles, and the roar of the crowed subsided a little. “Hello. My name is John. Allow me to introduce my wife, Maria, the apaiz nagusi of the Seers.” He held out the microphone to his wife.
A hush fell over the arena as Tessa’s mother took the microphone. “Hello. I know many of you might be confused about what happened here tonight. I’m hoping I can explain some of it.”
Shouted questions exploded from the crowd. Maria held up her hands and waited for the clamor to subside before she spoke again. “Jain Criten tried to prove something here tonight. He was trying to prove that anyone could use the Stones of Ekhia to contact the Creators, that the Seers were power-hungry and corrupt. But you all witnessed what happened. You all know that this is a lie.”
A quiet rumble rippled through the audience, but Maria simply raised her voice above it. “The evidence is before you. Jain Criten, a Channeler, used the stones to contact the Creators. And he was successful. The Creators responded. However, Criten himself could not handle the power of the Creators—Channelers are not designed to do so. Those are not my words; they are the words of the Creators. Criten is a Channeler, and only part Seer—enough to start the process but not hold it. He was just carried off this stage and is on his way to a hospital. But my daughter, a full Seer”—she indicated Tessa—“is perfectly fine after sharing the same experience. Why? Because Seers are designed for this.”
More rumbles. A couple of shouts. Maria went on. “The Creators believed in balance and design. In each member of society fulfilling a specific task. Communicating with the Creators was the task the Seers were designed for. Warriors were designed to defend, and Channelers were designed to keep the energies of our world in balance. Empaths were created to be the bridge between human and Atlantean. This is the truth, as told to you by the Creators themselves, moments ago. Let today be the end of Mendeku—and the beginning of Reunification.”
Silence reigned for a long moment. Then, cheers and applause erupted through the arena. Some booed and stormed out of the stadium. But for those who stayed, chants of “Reunification!” shook the night.
Tessa slipped her hand into Adrian’s and smiled at him. “It’s not going to be perfect, but things will be better now.”
* * *
Hours later, Tessa stepped out of the shower. After wrapping herself in one of the hotel’s sinfully luxurious towels, she used a smaller one to dry her hair as she walked back to the bedroom. Stopped. “Well, hello there.”
Adrian rose from where he reclined on the bed, lean and dangerous and fully dressed in his usual black. His smile was pure sin. “Hi, yourself.”
She continued into the room, rubbing the towel against her hair, achingly aware that she was practically naked, and the bed only a few feet away. “I didn’t think I’d see you for a while, what with Larina and her team in town and the Council flying in and all the hoopla going on in the streets. I figured you’d be tied up for hours.”
As she turned toward the dresser, she felt his nearness behind her even before his hands slid down her arms. “Tied up, huh?” He encircled her wrists with his fingers. “Is that what you imagine when you think of me?”
She swallowed hard. “I meant, I thought you’d be busy. With Larina and all that.”
“Larina doesn’t matter.” He pressed his lips to her shoulder.
“What about the temple?” Her eyes slid closed as he trailed kisses along her bared flesh to her neck.
“The temple is fine.” He took the smaller towel out of her han
d, dropped it on the floor. “Larina and her team are working with the palace guards, weeding out the insurgents and keeping the ones who were just following orders. I met with the Council. Given that we’ve taken Criten out of power, they’re dropping the charges of treason. Would be bad press for the hero of Reunification to be under arrest.” He slid his arm around her waist and tugged on the larger towel. It fell to the floor, and he pulled her back against him. His belt pressed into her spine, the heat of his body searing her even through his clothes.
“So you’re free, then?” She whimpered as he cupped her bare breast, slid his thumb over the nipple.
“Not in trouble with the temple anymore.” He brought up his other hand, caressing her other breast. “But not free.”
“What are you talking about?” Panic streaked through her, and she turned in his arms and searched his face. “Do you have to go to jail or something?”
He chuckled, and her anxiety faded. “No, princess. No jail.”
“Then what did you mean, you’re not free?”
He tipped her chin up, those dark eyes hot and tender. “Because you’ve captured me. I’m crazy in love with you.”
Her insides melted. “Oh. Wow.”
“Yeah, wow.” He stroked a finger along her cheek. “I’ve never felt anything like this before. This … belonging.”
“That’s it exactly. Belonging.” She captured his hand and pressed it to her lips. “I belong to you.”
“And I belong to you, princess.”
She chuckled. “I used to hate it when you called me that.”
“Well…” He grinned. “I did it to needle you at first.”
“Mission accomplished.”
His face grew serious. “But after a while, it became less about getting under your skin and more about—”
“Getting under my clothes?” She gave him a cheeky grin.
“More about how precious you are to me.”
Her grin faded as her heart turned over in her chest. “Adrian—”
“I want to protect you, keep you safe.” He cupped her face in both hands. “Love you and make love to you, marry you, have children with you. I want it all.”
“I want it all, too.” She nuzzled his palm as her eyes welled up. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything. Or anyone. I never knew I could have this. Be part of something like this. Trust someone like this. Love someone like this.”
Warrior of Fate Page 26
